Alexander Velicky, the exceptional Skyrim modder who had high hopes landing a job at Bethesda, has instead found his home with the creative minds at Bungie Studios.

A few months ago, Alexander Velicky crafted a huge Skyrim mod known as Falskaar to show his dedication and skill to Bethesda in hopes of getting hired. The nineteen-year-old modder spent over 2,000 hours building Falskaar, and with a host of additions like 25 hours of gameplay, new NPC’s each with their own voices, and customized towns, Velicky’s dedication was readily apparent.

But Bethesda wasn’t the only studio on Velicky’s list; he sent his creation off to many studios and companies, knowing it was a long shot but never fearing to try.

To his surprise, it wasn’t Bethesda who caught wind of his talent. It was Bungie Studios, one of the most renown and recognized names in the industry. And now Alexander Velicky is an Associate Designer for Bungie, and most likely working on Destiny.

Velicky recounted his experience in a note to the modding community, passing on a little nugget of wisdom that he’s learned from the whole ordeal: never be afraid to try–you might be surprised who will take a chance on you.

“I applied to many companies, and Bungie was in my, ‘Huge company that will completely ignore me’ category. Well, they didn’t and look what it got me.

“Bungie is an awesome company with an amazing team, and I’m very lucky that they’ve decided to give me a chance! Never be afraid to try.”

The modder-turned-Bungie-employee continued on to thank the modding community, saying that he wouldn’t be where he was now without their help and support. Additionally he says that he might abstain from modding in favor of his professional work, but with the possibility of Fallout 4 on the horizon, he might have to give in.

It will be interesting to see how his position at Bungie affects their games, and if his destiny will affect the studio’s Destiny.

One has to wonder what Bethsoft thought of Falskaar, and now that Velicky’s on his way to a potential promising career, he might hop on over to work on The Elder Scrolls. He’s already proved that bridging the gap from fantasy to reality isn’t impossible, and his hard work paid off dividends.

The story in itself is a great testament to the old adage about taking chances, and is an inspiration to modders everywhere–and the gamers who play them. In case you’ve missed it, we’ve included a trailer that showcases Velicky’s Skyrim mod below.